Well here in MS there are no restrictions on mileage or use once you get the antique tags. The vehicle only has to be 25 years old and you pay a one-time fee of $25. The type of registration is not relevant to the type of insurance you carry for individuals. (commercial and fleet are different) Inspection is annual but doesn't include emissions, only mechanical and cosmetic (no broken lenses or missing panels). Seems like every state has somewhat different rules though.

 

There's a pretty good thread here that came up several months ago. There are probably a lot more if you search....and if you go on to other classic car/truck sites there are the same questions that come up regularly. Creating the confusion is that different people get different answers from (different agents at) the same companies.

Some folks get Haggery after they send in pictures of clearly modified trucks hauling all kinds of a load and get the "OK," while others are told up front "no" and "you can't do that."

But in the thread above, I stick by my recommendation of American Modern. I have three Ford trucks--see my signature--and pay $200 a year. I can drive them to work and other places, although the annual mileage is limited to about one or two thousand miles a year. They have limits up to 6000 miles a year and it can't be much difference, but I live two miles from work in a small town and have these three trucks plus my Honda Civic so I'm not going to go over.

The application on the website says:"Occasional Commuting - If you like to drive your collector vehicle to work once in a while to blow the dust off of it, show off to your coworkers, or because there is a cruise-in on the way home, this is the usage type for you. If you drive your collector vehicle to work more than twice per week, please contact us to confirm if you qualify for coverage."

I can drive three of my vehicles to work once a week and one of them twice, according to their rules. But you have to ask enough questions, get what you need in writing, and feel comfortable that you are covered. Each of mine are covered for $2000 (the crew cab) to $15,000 (the Bronco).

 

You said all this:


So then yes...it does in fact make you a higher risk than it does me. I don't see how you think hauling a load of hay or supplies is less of a risk than my rig that gets trailered to a show? That hay may cause a dent in the bed rail or that mulch bag may split and scratch the paint...which results in a claim from you. Can you explain how you're a lower risk than me? So no, you don't meet their requirements.



And yes, it is far far cheaper to insure through Hagerty. As I mentioned, I have 7 rigs currently insured through Hagerty, ranging between 15 and 30k appraised value, meaning a check gets cut for that amount if my rig gets totaled. The most I pay per YEAR for on of those policies is $214. I also have a few nice looking dents, that I cruise around town...I have liability/comprehensive only on them from the folks that gave me the cheapest quote...that's $41/month and the max check I could get cut for those rigs is $800. Now tell me how Hagerty's coverage isn't value adding?

 

Well, first of all, I said ... a bale of pine straw. That is a very different thing than a load of hay.

I wasn't aware that single pass cypress mulch could scratch a Linex bed coating. That's amazing. I had no idea it was that abrasive. It would be rather ridiculous to file a claim, pay a $500 deductible to repair a scratch in the Linex, that only cost $600 to begin with. So, that scenario clearly isn't probable.

Sure, it all comes down to miles of exposure. Whether you drive them or trailer them, your vehicles are out on the road and exposed to that danger. You stated you have 7 different vehicles insured through them. Lets assume each vehicle is driven 1,000 miles per year. That's seven thousand miles, or about 155 hours of operation (45 mph avg.) per year, not counting time exposed while trailered to a show. Since you can only drive one at-a-time, that represents a potential $15,000 (minimum) check that Hagerty allows you risk .... 155 hours per year. Not to mention that trailering a vehicle is more dangerous than actually driving it. Loading and unloading can easily damage a vehicle (ask a vehicle transportation service). My truck on the other hand would have an agreed value of $6-8K, so ... less expensive than yours. In 2010 I put about 20 miles on the truck, mostly just driving around my neighborhood periodically. No trips to any store, no pine straw hauled, no dangerous pulls to a show 100 miles away. In 2009 I put 0 miles on the truck. Zero. So yeah, I would say that I am significantly lower risk than you.

And yes, I do meet their requirements. The one thing you didn't take into consideration before claiming how unsafe my practices were, is that I never said that I did use the truck for any of the scenarios I mentioned, only that the insurance company forbid those activities as a condition of coverage. For me, the decision is easy. I'll keep paying the $330 per year instead of getting the "antique" insurance for $164 per year. I want the option of being able to use my truck like a truck, even if I don't. Why have it otherwise?

Maybe our definitions of cheap are different but a savings of $166 per year doesn't fall into the "far far cheaper" category to me. Sure, they'll write me a check for $6,000 if a drunk driver totals my dentside on the way to a car show. They won't cover it if a drunk driver totals it on my way home from the car show after stopping at Kroger with a bag of oranges and a loaf of bread in the bed. I have a hard time believing those two activities are different enough to warrant a refusal of coverage.

All that said, I see the value added by their brand of insurance, I never claimed there was no value add. However, IMHO as a truck owner, their value add doesn't outweigh my value lost due to loss of use. I still wonder if they refuse insurance on a Corvette because they have the potential to go fast. (read, high risk)

Lastly, 704 dentside man, in all seriousness, I appreciate your efforts in restoring and maintaining classic rides and bringing them out to shows for people to see. I love car shows and I attend them as often as I can. Without people like you, there would be no car shows or they'd be crap. "Hey look at my 2003 chevy cobalt!!"

/sorry for the length

 

^^^Look...you can argue your point all you want, and think you're a qualified customer...but in the end you got declined, and I am insured by them. So take that for what it's worth. It's really not worth my time discussing this further, obviously they don't think you're qualified candidate, and I'm glad to know my provider is protecting my premiums. But I do agree, I think it would be great if there was some sorta middle ground insurance so I could insure my other rigs that see more use and wear and tear...but then, there will still be somebody on the outside looking in complaining as to why they didn't get covered. Plain and simple, you don't like the rules, don't go with them.

 

I can get covered by them. This wasn't about that. It was about what I perceived to be an odd condition on that coverage. I was curious if other people have been told the same thing. Clearly from the responses so far the answer is no. Not everyone has been declined coverage for the occasional utility use. Furthermore, I'm not complaining about it. I think it's a very important topic that everyone should be fully aware of, regarding their trucks. These trucks are very commonly still used for utility purposes and if someone is using the antique insurance through these certain providers then they may not be fully covered like they thought. They may not have even been told that utility use was a no-no. I feel lucky that I was told.

 

If you answer the application honestly, you should get a feel as to what can and can't be done. If they choose to insure you, it's extremely self-explantory what is and isn't accepted use, you just didn't get that far. And if you do use your rig outside of the conditions of the contract, your SOL or you face fraud charges if you file a claim. Anyway, good luck with your truck.

 

Are ya'll really arguing about this...?

Insurance is a joke anyways. They [insurance companies] will do everything in their power to deny you coverage when you make a claim. You have to PROVE you are in the right most of the time.

When I owned my M35A2, I had antique tags on it and insured it through Nationwide as an antique vehicle. I drove it when and where I wanted, I hauled loads in it, I pulled stuff with it, it wasn't garage kept (won't fit anyways), and I played in the snow with it. I even drove it to my Nationwide agent when I went to make payments. I'm not sure if I was technically allowed to do the aformentioned activities with the truck based on my insurance coverage...and I KNOW was was not allowed to do most of those under Virginia's definition of an antique vehicle. Hell, I never had the license plates mounted on the truck in the year I owned it. They were kept in the glove box. $12 a month sure was hard to beat.

 

^^^Well that's the risk you take...difference is, you're screwed if if something happens outside the parameters of use, I'm not since I play by the rules.